In The News

"The Magazine of Santa Clarita" October 2004 issue

How often has this happened to you? You need a handyman or electrician, or need to start a remodeling project. You ask friends who they know, or seek the Yellow Pages for a contractor. You place a call or two, hoping to get a response. A guy visits and provides you a bid, saying "I can do that, but I'll need $500 to start". You write a check, he takes the money, never to be seen again, or he starts the project but doesn't finish! Sound familiar?

A similar experience prompted Bonnie Stauch to open her new business June 1st, 2004, a contractors referral service for homeowners. She wanted to start a business, and utilize her twenty years of experience in sales, customer service, and billing. "I have the skills set for customer service, and I know how to handle customer complaints-and how to prevent them!"

Instead of searching the Yellow Pages, simply contact the referral service and submit your project. "Basically, all our guys are licensed and insured, and average over 10 years of experience in their respective fields." Their references are checked, and they are dependable guys. "The decision to utilize any of our pre-screened contractors is at your discretion and ultimately your choice. And, the service is free!"

Bonnie knows what it's like to make a poor decision on a contractor. "We hired a plumbing company to re-pipe our home. The project took too long, and to this day, we still have toilets that whistle when they get flushed!" It wasn't her first bad experience. "Some contractors never showed up, some did an OK job, or some frightened our young children! A few did outstanding jobs at a fair price. We still do business with them."

Bonnie believes Santa Clarita Valley will benefit with such a service company. So far, the business is going well. "Since my ads came out in June, I've had calls ranging from room additions and paint jobs, to landscaping and fencing." The contractors are more concerned about doing the job right, than getting paid for a lousy job. "I don't refer fly-by-night contractors. Most of the guys live in SCV and work from word-of-mouth referrals, and that's worth its weight in gold." It's important to have quality contractors for her customers. "The guys are really proud of what they do - and they want the customer to be pleased with the finished project! It's a win-win situation!"